Opinions from Others.
Page 14
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Taxicab Drivers and Extras.
The Editor, THE CoM Al RECTAL MOTOR.
[1,176] Sir,--I have read with great interest the vigorous frontal attack, in last week's issue, on taxi-drivers and Their apologists. I trust you use the latter word in its strictest sense, but I regret that you, in common with other teachers of the better way, ignore the causes of the men's errors, at which we so diligently hammer.
If you do not mind my calling a spade a qualified shovel, I would say, at the outset, that your attack contains quite as much, if not more, to which exception may be taken, as do most of the statements on the men's behalf. While the duty of the apologist is towards his side of the truth only, yours, most surely. Sir, is towards the truth from all sides. Our object is to show that the shortcomings of the men are the direct result of the treatment which they have received from both masters and public, and of the unsuitability of the present scale of payment. We would urge most seriously that to give a dog a had name is the worst possible preliminary to reforming him.
You must forgive me if I endeavour to correct a few mistakes in your leader to which I have referred earlier. Commenting on the long extract commencing "Average takings," you suppress the crucial fact that the man loses his eightpence and his place on the rank, and you mention only the minor items. Fair for counsel, Sir ; " misdirection," I submit, in your hands.
The next statement is more complicated, but quite as misleading. Actually a driver does not turn up his flag until he is sure that the fare is going tu discharge and to pay him within a reasonable time. I have myself lost three jobs while a lady was borrowing halfpence from her own servants to get. together the legal fare. A few experiences like that, or of the ladies who scuttle into shops with no directions to the driver whatever, make one fearfully careful not to touch the flag till the money is paid.
Again, no large company " gives " anything away. Some things are lent. The caps, mentioned by you as given, are paid for at all the large firms, so are the aprons if supplied, so are second lots of nearly all things.
In your next extract—from a letter from a hireryon obscure the issue. The driver gets 25 per cent. gross, but he pays his expenses. His actual takings from one job may easily be a minus quantity. The man, say, is an hour on the rank ; he has paid the " laoker-out " Id.; he gets off for 8d.—say up Fitz-John's Avenue. That driver is certainly justified in " cabologically " remarking, " Guy'nor, I don't get nuffink art'er this." One cannot help feeling, however, that, from this controversy, all that is likely to emerge is our old friend the " ridiculus mus." Extras really are a very small item. Ninepence to Is. per day is the most that they average. and I fear that the profit is somewhat analogous to that of the amateur farmers, who sheared their pigs and then found the wool wouldn't sell and the pigs died of cold. The matter really is only one between masters and men. The masters' public claim that they cannot secure honest service is surely as damaging to them, to their methods, and to their ability, as the charge itself is to their servants. If the masters had played the game honestly by the men at the beginning, they would not. now have to invoke public aid to eollect their dues. Another " sugg esti() falsi" of your leader, which I must mention, is that about the " hack fare." This is perfectly true ; it is also true that no driver need go from a distance beyond six miles away from them to any of the places you mention (sit). Better, Sir, and more worthy of the high position which your journal occupies. had you frankly admitted that the law on this and on many other points is a muddle, and had you offered the aid of your great influence towards its rectification.
Just one more comment ! What proof is there that tips average 21d. per is., or 3s. 4d. in the C ? On the short jobs. this may he so. but, on the long jobs, it is not the
(a,.e. It is these latter which swell the actual money takings. Take a typical 30s. day, split up as follows:— About 2s. in the £ is tha gross result. The 3s. 4d. in the £1 is the legend of 1907, not the fact of 1910. It is as cruel as it is unfair to bring this out now.
If tips did come up to the average beloved of the newspaper writers, they are at most 5s. a day, and a driver's commission earnings, after fair deduction, are admitted by you to be not more than 3s.; a total, for six days of good work, of 48s., which is a long, long e ay from that mythical £4. If he did earn £4 per week, and, if in some mysterious way £1 of that were transferred to his master's pocket, would that save the latter? I trow not. Nothing can do that save a halt's being called in this mad race for supremacy, the limitation of the number of cabs, and a readjustment of the fares. It is these vital points which we trust to see you pressing forward, and not the trivial one as to which of two needy pockets shall receive some
odd coppers.—Yours faithfully, J. EDWARD DAVIES.
[We shall revert to the points ntuned.—En.)
Users' Experiences.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1,177] Sir,--The past week has been one of considerable excitement, owing to the activity of the police. Three of my machines have been " weiginsd," and one has been trapped for overspeed. I am glad to say that it is only in the case of the speed that we are accused of committing an offence. The driver, who is a careful man, and handles his machine in an intelligent manner, is accused of ascending an incline at a speed of eight miles per hour with an eight-ton load. I had an opportunity of driving this machine over a measured mile, and without the trailer load could only obtain a speed of seven miles per hour on the level, and that only by " pushing " the machine for all it was worth.
I have recently come across what looks like a promising attempt to absorb road shocks by the use of a. number of springs in place of one. An advantage of the device is that the springs are readily adjusted to respond to the requirements of light or heavy work ; provision is also made for " tuning up " the various units which support each wheel. The ordinary springing arrangements at present in vogue, to say the least are very crude, and there is no doubt that, as better springing for heavy machines becomes more general, the roads as well as the vehicles themselves will enjoy a greater immunity from breakdowns.
Respecting the manner in which the police in certain districts are constantly weighing heavy motorcars, the owners of which are being fined anything up to £10 and costs for any excess weight, however small, I think that some allowance should most certainly be made, in the case of steam wagons, for the amount of water that is carried in the tank. The average weight of water carried in the tanks of my machines is about 10 ( wt., and, if the machines with their tanks full are only allowed to come up to their restricted axle-weight, it means that on an average I must be content to carry something between 5 and 10 cwt. less than the law allows. The most equitable arrangement, to my mind, would be to allow the back axle-weight to be exceeded by half the weight of water which can he carried in the tank ; this could be marked upon the machine, for the guidance of the police.
Our log sheet for the past. week is as follows :--Earnings, £95 ; tonnage, 252 mileage, 1,962; percentage of work done, 97; coke used, 14 tons; gear oil, 15 gallons, and cylinder oil, 7 gallons.—Yours faithfully, " MOTOR WAGON CARRIER."